Polycystic Kidney Disease

This paper is about polycystic kidney disease (PKD). It will describe a case scenario about a newly diagnose patient with end-stage kidney failure. The reader will learn about the kidney and function. What would happen if the kidneys stop working correctly? Continue to read to find the answer.
A 40-year-old white well-nourished pleasant male presented with nausea, fatigue, shortness of breath has bilateral lower leg edema with chief complains of not urinating on two days. He and his supportive wife have come to the emergency department. John Doe has not been to the doctors in 20 years. He denies smoking or alcohol abuse. He could not give any family history because he came from a closed adoption at birth. He is usually in good health but has been not feeling well the last couple of months. He currently works at a labor ware house as a manager who has worked there for the past 20 years. Him and his family have health insurance provided threw his place of employment. He and his married have two young children. His educational background is high school equivalent. After blood tests, urinalysis, and a computed tomography scan, confirmed he has PKD. I would further assess his and his wife’s needs after the Nephrologists has come firm his diagnoses with him. Some of the teaching methods for John Doe and his wife to learn about PKD would be to explain the anatomy of the human body and what the disease is all about. I would give him a packet he could take home with him, consists of a six grade level reading material with pictures of what a healthy kidney should looks like and what a kidney with PKD appears to look like. I would also give him resources to the PKD support group. A kidney is an essential organ a person needs to help keep healthy.
The kidneys work by sorting out the nutrients in the blood and “filter wastes and extra fluid from the blood to form urine” (NKUDIC, 2010, para 3). A normal healthy individual would have two kidneys, one on each side of their upper abdomen extending to their backside. The normal size is about the size of their fist and could weigh 120-140 grams (NKUDIC, 2010).PKD is a genetic “inherited disease that causes massive enlargement of both kidneys due to development of multiple grape-like cysts” (Tannehill-Jones, 2006, para 33). The growth of theses fluid filled cysts in the kidneys multiple leading to a grossly enlarge kidneys. The size of the kidney can be up to a size of a football. The presents of theses numerous cysts takes away vital kidney function, leading to kidney insufficiently. With decrease kidney function over time the body’s waste accumulates because the kidneys are not functioning adequately. After many years the kidneys can lose the majority its function. Eventually PKD can cause infection, pain, and renal failure. Indicators of this condition can began from the earliest stages of life. From the fetal womb too the more common ages of adulthood, PKD can occur between the ages of ages30-40 (Medicine, 2010). “Men and women are affected equally” (Healthscout, 2010, para 5).With inadequate renal function the kidneys eventually can develop into renal failure. This is call end-stage renal failure. This means the kidneys are no longer able to work properly. John Doe will need kidney replacement therapy. He will need hemodialysis until he can receive a kidney transplant.
Hemodialysis is a treatment that involves blood being filtering through a dialysis machine (Mayoclinic, 2010). The filter is an artificial kidney that is made up of thousands of little fibers with tiny holes in them to allow the waste to pass. The time on the machine is what the nephrologists will order. Hemodialysis can be two to four hours a treatment, up to three times a week. John Doe can still live a normal and productive life with life-style adjustments. He will be able to still work full-time if he wishes or he could qualifies for Medicare because he is hemodialysis dependent. Before he is discharge from the hospital a plan of care is set in place to ensure he is on the road recovery. The case manager will arrange for outpatient dialysis for John does if he could not transport himself to and from the clinic then Red Cross with make transpiration free of charge. He will need to change some of his eating habits to comply with a renal diet. He will need to make the correct and right choices for himself. A dietician will be following-up with him at the outpatient dialysis center.
John Doe will come across many new challenges in his life adjusting to a new illness with beginning on hemodialysis. He may have mixed emotions of feeling anger, fearful, or resentment. He will need to adjust and make life-style a change by going to all of his doctors appoints, taking his prescribed meds, following his renal diet and attending all of his dialysis appointments. In addition his children should have routine physical checkups to detect early kidney disease sine his child are prone to PKD.
We focus on promoting optimal health for the community. To educate about taking self responsibly in caring for their own bodies and to provide the much needed support for each individual who needs assistants.

References
Health Scout (2010) Polycystic kidney disease. Retrieved from http://www.healthscout.com/ency/68/69/main.html
Mayo clinic (2010). Polycystic kidney disease. Retrieved from http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/heart-failure/DS00061/DSECTION=tests-and- diagnosishttp://ww
Medicine Net (2010). Polycystic kidney disease. Retrieved from http://www.medicinenet.com/polycystic_kidney_disease/article.htm
National Kidney and Urologic Disease (2010). Polycystic kidney disease. Retrieved from

http://kidney.niddk.nih.gov/kudiseases/pubs/polycystic/

Neighbors. M., & Tannehill-Jones, R. (2006). Human Disease (2nd ed.). Clifton Park, NY:

Thomson Delmar Learning.